R.I. Fast Ferry seeks approval for N.K.-Block Island route

By Eli Okun PBN Staff Writer

Rhode Island Fast Ferry is looking to begin a high-speed ferry service between North Kingstown’s Quonset Point and Block Island, having applied for a license from the R.I. Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, the ferry service announced Wednesday.

NORTH KINGSTOWN – Rhode Island Fast Ferry is looking to begin a high-speed ferry service between North Kingstown’s Quonset Point and Block Island, having applied for a license from the R.I. Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, the ferry service announced Wednesday.

If granted the license, the organization would plan to spend $6 million to $7 million on a new aluminum catamaran that would run two to four round trips daily. The 30-mile ride would last roughly 45 to 50 minutes.

Currently, Rhode Island Fast Ferry runs a service from Quonset Point to Martha’s Vineyard, as well as trips in Bermuda and cruises around Narragansett Bay and Newport Harbor. Its Quonset Point terminal already has the requisite infrastructure for docking and operating a Block Island route, according to the company.

Rhode Island Fast Ferry said in a statement that the new ferry service would create jobs and bring more visitors to Block Island while offering a departure point away from summer beach traffic.

“The addition of fast ferry service to Block Island is a natural fit for my company in Quonset Point,” Charles A. Donadio Jr., owner and president of Rhode Island Fast Ferry, said in a statement. “We have the infrastructure in place, the inter-modal connections and the experience to provide a five star fast ferry service to Block Island.”

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